djwonk

I’ve seen the phrase “rock star software developer” one too many times. This trite and misleading metaphor needs to die. By decapitation if necessary.

In my opinion, the key ingredients of being a rock star are mediocre talent, a massive publicity machine, and an insatiable ego. These are not qualities that I want to see transfer into the software world. Software development, in its ideal, is about curiosity, teams, and skills. It should be about merit, clear thinking, and sharing. It should not be molded after irrational cult followings, record company influence, boy bands, or beat-it-into-your-brains radio station overplay.

I agree that good software development might have things in common with a good music. Developers must perform! But the nature of the audience is different — it involves other software developers (who read the source code) as well as people who use the software (who probably don’t care if the programmer has a mohawk, leather pants, and a life expectancy of 27 years).

So let’s not use rock stars as our model. Only a select few rock stars, in my opinion, are masters of music. I would take an average jazz musician over the average “rock star” any day, because the jazz field encourages real-time improvisation and understanding music on many levels. Let’s find programmers who can deliver (similar to performance artists) but also understand the culture and history of programming (similar to musicologists).

There have to be more useful metaphors for greatness in software development. They should be fresh, specific, and (hopefully) strange or funny. Here’s an example I just threw together: “I’m looking for a software developer that is a direct descendant of Perseus. Someone who can refactor some horrible code (i.e. slay Medusa) without turning to stone.”

P.S. Ever met someone who proclaims their own greatness? Perhaps it is better to let someone else to credit your skills than to wave a flag brandishing your mighty abilities. I hear that a sign of true greatness is humility. Putting yourself on a pedestal is probably counterproductive, unless you want to surround yourself with other arrogant people. Instead, aim to be approachable. This opens up a learning frame of mind, which allows you to become even better in the long run.